State jobless benefits hit record $23 billion in 2010, By Dean Calbreath, February 11, 2011, San Diego Union-Tribune: “In what will be a major surprise to absolutely nobody, California broke all records in jobless benefits last year, paying $22.9 billion to a record benefits to 1.7 million jobless Californians, according to a report released Thursday by the state Employment Development Department. That averages to about $90 million each business day as the jobless rate continues to linger at post-Depression highs. In comparison, a typical annual average during a strong economy is about $5-$6 billion, averaging $20-$24 million per business day…”
Day: February 11, 2011
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Enrollment
- Record number of North Dakotans using food stamps, up 19 pct from 2009, By James MacPherson, February 11, 2011, Bismarck Tribune: “A record number of North Dakotans are using food stamps to buy groceries, coinciding with the state’s population growth but contrary to its robust economy, the director of the state Data Center says. North Dakota had an average of 59,888 people per month receiving food assistance in fiscal 2010, up from 53,070 in 2009, said Richard Rathge, the Data Center director and North Dakota demographer. The fiscal year ended Sept. 30. Rathge said the federal Agriculture Department figures show ‘an apparent contradiction’ with North Dakota’s strong economy that has been fueled largely by the state’s booming oil patch. North Dakota’s unemployment rate of 3.8 percent is the nation’s lowest…”
- Record number of Rhode Islanders using food stamps, By Paul Davis, February 11, 2011, Providence Journal: “A record 155,184 Rhode Islanders received food stamps at year’s end, according to figures from the state Department of Human Services. The number of people getting help from the federally financed program – now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP – increased by more than 26,400 people in December, up 20 percent from December 2009. The number has been rising steadily over the past 12 months. That means about one in seven Rhode Islanders relies on government food assistance, another sign that the state’s poorest residents have yet to recover from the worst recession in decades…”
Welfare Reform – Maine
LePage seeks to bar noncitizens from welfare for first 5 years, By John Richardson, February 11, 2011, Kennebec Journal: “Gov. Paul LePage launched his first attempt at welfare reform Thursday, proposing to save about $20 million over two years by eliminating a variety of benefits for new immigrants and refugees who are not yet U.S. citizens. ‘Maine was built by immigrants,’ LePage said in his first budget address. ‘Maine must always be a welcoming place for those who seek an opportunity to advance through hard work and self-reliance.’ However, LePage said, Maine should no longer be ‘one of just a few places in the country that offers welfare on day one for legal noncitizens.’ His proposal would make legal noncitizen residents ineligible for MaineCare, food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families during their first five years of residency in the state…”